Newsline

In This Issue

April 2010

Parent Center Updates

• United We Stand Celebrating 20 Years
• RIPIN to Present on Early Childhood Health and Development Partnerships Webinar
• PACER’s Teens Against Bullying Web Site Featured on CNN

Announcements & News

• TA&D Center of the Month: IDEA Partnership
• National Mental Health Awareness Day – May 6, 2010
• Postsecondary Scholarship Opportunity for Students with Down Syndrome

Resources

• Learning Port Professional Development Library
• National Underinsured Resource Guide
• PBS’ Arthur Airs Autism Episode
• Tips for Using Assistive Technology with Young Children
• New IRIS Module: Fidelity of Implementation
• CELL Practice Guide: Act Natural

Technology

• PDF Accessibility
• Parent Center Tech Corner

Nonprofit Management

• Alternative Work Schedules Questionnaire

Parent Center Updates

United We Stand Celebrating 20 Years

United We Stand, a Community Parent Resource Center in Brooklyn, is celebrating its 20th anniversary on May 27, 2010. The 20th Anniversary Gala will honor “Special Angel Award” recipients Judy Heumann and The Williamsburg Charter High School art department. Congratulations to director Lourdes Rivera-Putz and the United We Stand staff and board on this exciting event! Learn more>>>

RIPIN to Present on Early Childhood Health and Development Partnerships Webinar

Rhode Island Parent Information Network (RIPIN) associate director Lisa Schaffran is a co-presenter on the upcoming Parent Partnerships to Support Early Child Health and Development webinar sponsored by the National Academy for State Health Policy. The webinar, which will take place May 12 from 2-3:30 PM EDT, will present a framework for building parent partnerships with states that will support quality early childhood programs and services. Registration is free and open to the public. RIPIN’s PTI director is Sue Donovan and the executive director is Matthew Cox. More>>>

PACER’s Teens Against Bullying Web Site Featured on CNN

PACER Center’s interactive Teens Against Bullying Web site was shown on CNN in a report by Josh Levs on April 5, 2010. The story featured on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Stop Bullying Now! program and also referred viewers to the resources for middle and high school students available at www.PACERTeensAgainstBullying.org. More>>>

Announcements & News

TA&D Center of the Month: IDEA Partnership

The IDEA Partnership is a project of the National Association of State Directors of Special Education (NASDSE) that brings together stakeholders to facilitate translating knowledge into action. The IDEA Partnership develops collaborative products such as dialogue guides and resource collections. Most recently the IDEA Partnership released the Partnership Collection on Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) that includes needs from the field, guiding principles, a glossary of related terms, PowerPoint presentation, and other materials. The IDEA Partnership is led by Bill East, Principal Investigator, and Joanne Cashman, Project Director. More>>>

National Mental Health Awareness Day – May 6, 2010

National Mental Health Awareness Day will be celebrated May 6, 2010 through a variety of activities and events across the United States. An Awareness Day Early Childhood Forum and 5th Anniversary Celebration will be held in Washington DC, and communities across the country are encouraged to participate in children and youth art action activities that will increase basic awareness of the importance positive mental health has on a child's healthy development. Share information about the day through the Awareness Day “Post Now” Campaign. More>>>

Postsecondary Scholarship Opportunity for Students with Down Syndrome

Individuals with Down syndrome enrolling in a postsecondary class or program are invited to apply for one of five $2,000 grants from the Joshua O’Neill and Zeshan Tabani Enrichment Fund. The grant program, administered by the National Down Syndrome Society, was developed to provide financial assistance to young adults with Down syndrome who want to attend postsecondary programs or classes that will enrich their lives through employment, independent living skills life skills, or another way. Applications must be postmarked by July 16, 2010. More>>>

Resources

Learning Port Professional Development Library

LearningPort is a new online library of general and special education professional development resources. The tool was developed by the IDEA Partnership as a resource for states, school districts, and schools who may be using American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds for professional development activities. The national collection includes materials from technical assistance centers, national association, state departments of education, and others. Resources represent a range of formats (Web-based trainings, handouts, etc.) and many can be downloaded or viewed free of charge. More>>>

National Underinsured Resource Directory

Developed by the Patient Advocate Foundation, the National Underinsured Resource Directory helps people find alternative coverage to supplement their existing health insurance plans. Users can either search the online resource guide using keywords or complete a quiz about their unique situation. More>>>

PBS’ Arthur Airs Autism Episode

Arthur, a cartoon on PBS, has a new episode where Arthur’s friend George meets and becomes friends with Carl, a boy with autism. The episode, When Carl Met George, explains Asperger’s Syndrome in a kid-friendly manner. Watch a clip on YouTube. More>>>

Tips for Using Assistive Technology with Young Children

Assistive technology (AT) is anything that helps people do what they couldn’t otherwise do. For young children, it can make daily activities, family outings, and playtime more fun and educational. AT can be as simple as a foam grip on a crayon! Find many helpful tips in the March issue of the Tots’n’Tech newsletter from Thomas Jefferson University and Arizona State University. Tots’n’Tech and PACER Center also recently published a new brochure, Discover How Assistive Technology Can Help your Infant or Toddler Learn and Grow. If you would like additional copies, call PACER at 952.838.9000.More>>>

New IRIS Module: Fidelity of Implementation

The IRIS Center has released its latest module, Fidelity of Implementation: Selecting and Implementing Evidence-Based Practices and Programs, developed in collaboration with George Sugai (Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions & Supports) and Lisa Sanetti (Neag School of Education, University of Connecticut). The module describes how school personnel can identify an evidence-based practice or program that aligns with the school's specific needs and resources, explains the importance of implementing the practice or program as it was intended, and discusses actions that school personnel can take to increase the likelihood that education professionals will implement the new practice or program with high fidelity. More>>>

CELL Practice Guide: Act Natural

This month’s Center for Early Literacy Learning (CELL) Practice Guide for Parents, Act Natural, helps parents and caregivers encourage their toddler’s imagination. Ideas are given on incorporating pretend play into story time, outdoor activities, and other daily routines. More>>>

Technology

PDF Accessibility

PDF documents can be accessible to people with visual impairments if they are created properly and users know how to use Adobe’s built-in accessibility features:

Debunking the Myth of PDF Inaccessibility (podcast from American Federation for the Blind (AFB) Consulting and Adobe): http://www.afb.org/Community.asp?EventID=2156

Acrobat Accessibility Resources: http://www.adobe.com/accessibility/training.html

Parent Center Tech Corner

The most recent post in the Parent Center Tech Corner discusses troubleshooting tips for when there are problems opening an email attachment. Check it out in the Parent Center log-in section of www.taalliance.org.

Nonprofit Management

Alternative Work Schedules Questionnaire

This article in the Blue Avocado provides a list of questions for supervisors to ask when employees make requests to telecommute or work an alternative schedule. The questionnaire helps determine whether the request is compatible with the position and the organization as a whole. A sample telecommuting agreement is also included. More>>>

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